Movies, Food & Travel: mesmirising Malshej

Movies, Food & Travel: mesmirising Malshej: It’s a puzzle to me why so many people in Mumbai have not been to Malshej Ghat . A few don't even know about it ! I had heard thats it...

mesmirising Malshej

It’s a puzzle to me why so many people in Mumbai have not been to Malshej Ghat . A few don't even know about it ! I had heard thats its a beautiful place, but when me and my husband went there last weekend , the gorgeous beauty of the place far surpassed our expectations. The view of the green hills, the intricate jungle paths in the valley below and dense fog covering the peaks provides quiet an experience. For the first time in my life I saw 12 waterfalls together! During the last leg of the journey , the highway is lined up with them. In fact at one point, we got really surprised when the gushing water hit the car roof!

Malshej Ghat is about 150 km from Mumbai . We went there by road - took Eastern Express Highway (NH3) to Thane, from there to Kalyan and via state highway (222) to Murbad, and then further on the same highway to Malshej. Once we crossed Kalyan, the scenery improved dramatically with lush greenery all around. The road near Murbad and ahead is a little patchy at times, but the amazing views on the way make it well worth it. We took about 4.5 hrs to reach , a bit more than usual because we started at mid-day from Mumbai so got traffic, and also kept stopping on the way to take pics !  If you start early morning I think you can easily reach in 3.5 hrs. The best time to visit is during rains. As we went in September, it was raining but not continuously or heavily , which I think worked out better because we could step out of the car and enjoy the views more comfortably.

We had booked our stay at MTDC. They are only two hotels there - MTDC & Sushant Resort. It’s a case of choosing the best out of the worst, so we chose MTDC. The place is usually full so one needs to book ahead. We booked through MTDC website. Its quiet easy on the pocket – super deluxe room only for Rs 1200. The room was basic although clean. One should try to get the upper floor room as they have balconies. We checked in late so the balcony rooms were full and we had to take the ground floor room. Even on ground floor, the various rooms differ in quality and the view , so its better to check before finalising. The overall property is very basic, and not maintained well. But the location is excellent – perched on a hill top. From a distance when you look at the property it looks shrouded in clouds!

We reached MTDC at around 5pm, and were surprised to see so many people there. We realized that these were not staying at the hotel, but had visited Malshej only for the day. As there are no other (decent) restaurants in Malshej Ghat, the day picnickers visit the MTDC restaurant to eat. Later we found the other reason why they visit MTDC - the valley view at the back of MTDC is awe-inspiring! After checking in , we took a walk around MTDC. There was a nice big path behind the hotel where you can take a walk and admire the view of the ghats. We could see the clouds below us. The falling rays of the setting –sun gave a golden glow to the ghats. We took lots of pictures , but really the reality much more beautiful than what the camera could capture.

After the walk we decided to take a drive. We realized once it gets dark we anyway can’t do much except relax at the hotel . As we drove from MTDC ahead on the highway, we saw the Pushpavati river . The view of the river with backdrop of the ghats was quiet spectacular. The river is long and winding  , its water blocked by Pimpalgaon Joga Dam. We drove for around 30 km before turning back.

The food at MTDC is nothing great to talk about. We ate there because we had to. There is no room service, which normally is not an issue except that the MTDC canteen doesn’t look very clean. I would recommend that one should carry their own food when visiting Malshej. Next day we got up early thinking we’ll go out, but when we looked out of the room window, we couldn’t see anything because of the thick fog. So we slept more and finally stepped out at 9am. We first had our breakfast at the canteen and then again drove down to the river, this time to spend more time and enjoy the view during daylight. It was no less breathtaking than when we had seen it the previous day. We clicked some more pics, stopped near a waterfall to have tea and corn , and then returned to MTDC and checked out. It was time to head back to Mumbai.

For us, Malshej Ghat was about walking/driving around and soaking in the gorgeous scenery. I’ll go so far as to say that’s it’s the most beautiful place I have seen in Maharashtra till now. But there’s lot more on offer catering to different interests – trekking , hiking, bird watching. The place is haven for many bird species like flamingoes, green pigeon. There’s a fort about 28km from Malshej Ghat – Shivneri Fort where Shivaji was born. We had read that it was in ruins so didn’t go there.

If you are short on time, or do not get a place to stay, Malshej is a great option for a day picnic as well. Just keep in mind – carry your own food, reach there early so you get more time to enjoy, and carry extra set of clothes  - you are bound to get tempted by the waterfalls ! Lastly , if you do visit, please don’t litter – one of the good things about Malshej being relatively less known is that the place is not developed commercially, and still quiet clean. Lets keep it that way.